1962 Lotus Elite S2 (Type 14) had 1/4 built by Maximar, and 3/4s were built by Bristol Aircraft. About £100 was lost on every car, they were just too expensive to make, and that's why the Elan, returned to conventional construction.

It was very light, weighing just 630kg and utilized a 'monocoque' construction which meant there was no separate chassis and the body being load-bearing and, whilst this was becoming accepted practice, the Elite was the first time it had been attempted in fiberglass.

There were only two strips of steel in the car — a strip for the door hinges to attach to and a very small steel frame to which the engine and suspension were attached and, when combined with independent sporty suspension, a ZF gearbox, disc brakes, the Coventry Climax all-aluminum engine and a very low drag coefficient of just 0.29, it made for a great drivers' car.

The first 280 were built by Maximar prior to production transferring to Bristol Aircraft who built a further 750, however the Elite was very expensive to produce, especially the GRP monocoque which was extremely labor-intensive, and it's understood that they lost around £100 on every car with its successor, the Elan, returning to more conventional construction.

https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/1962-lotus-elite-rec13172-1-stoneleigh-0224